re: What would be Mississippi State's overall reputation as a university be?

Their graduates are smart and competent but less than creative, in my experience- classic farmers and engineers. I don't know where they land in the USNWR rankings, but I think MSU is probably a top 100 research university by any reasonable standard.

I like how the three big public universities in Mississippi have pretty obviously distinct cultures and identities. It's not like Louisiana, where ULL really kind of just feels like LSU Junior, McNeese feels like ULL Junior, etc.

ETA: Let me give an example. It's a little crazy how quiet MSU's campus is compared to USM or Ole Miss.